- Just 20 minutes of moderate exercise can help boost brain power and energy
- It increases blood flow to the brain and can also boost excitement and motivation
We all know the dizzy feeling you experience after a bad night’s sleep.
But just 20 minutes of exercise can give your brain a boost if you haven’t been paying enough attention, a study suggests.
A team led by researchers from the University of Portsmouth conducted two experiments, each involving twelve people.
In the first case, participants were allowed only five hours of sleep per night for three days.
Each morning they were given seven tasks to complete while resting, and then asked to repeat the tasks after 20 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling.
The study found that each person’s performance on the tasks improved after they trained on the bike
Analysis showed that having little sleep has a different effect on everyone – possibly because some people are more resistant to fatigue.
However, each person’s performance on the tasks improved after they trained on the bikes.
In the second experiment, participants went an entire night without sleep and were then placed in a hypoxic environment (low oxygen level).
They underwent the same tests and even though oxygen levels were reduced, they still improved their performance after exercise.
The researchers wrote in the journal Physiology and Behavior: ‘We showed that cycling at moderate intensity for 20 minutes improves executive functions after three nights of partial sleep deprivation and one night of total sleep deprivation, regardless of hypoxic status.’
The team suggested that exercise may affect the release of brain-regulating hormones and the rate at which blood is delivered to the brain.
It can also boost excitement and motivation, she added.
Co-lead author Dr Thomas Williams said: ‘One possible hypothesis for why exercise improves cognitive performance is related to increases in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation.
‘However, our findings suggest that even when exercises are performed in a low-oxygen environment, participants were still able to perform cognitive tasks better than when they were at rest under the same conditions.’
Sleep is fundamental to maintaining a healthy lifestyle; for adults, between seven and nine hours per night is recommended.
However, research shows that 40 percent of the world’s population does not consume enough.
In the short term, a lack of sleep can reduce cognitive performance, which can affect attention span, judgment and emotional state.
But over time it can lead to cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression.
Dr. Joe Costello, who also worked on the study, said that if the exercise had been longer or more difficult, it could have increased the negative effects of sleep deprivation.
“The findings significantly add to what we know about the relationship between exercise and these stressors (sleep deprivation), and help reinforce the message that exercise is medicine for the body and brain,” he added.
The researchers called for further research into the mechanisms behind how exercise improves cognitive function, as it could help anyone who suffers from disturbed sleep or oxygen deprivation – including shift workers, parents of young children and even climbers and skiers.